Surfing book to be serialised to raise funds for charity

Sustainable Stoke – Transitions to Sustainability in the Surfing World was first published in May 2015

A book exploring the greatest challenges to sustainability in the surfing world is to be broken down into a series of ebooks in an attempt to raise money for charity.

Sustainable Stoke – Transitions to Sustainability in the Surfing World was published in May 2015 and co-edited by Dr Gregory Borne, Director of the Plymouth Sustainability and Surfing Research Group, and Associate Professor Dr Jess Ponting, Director of the Center for Surf Research at San Diego State University.

It includes the views and opinions of more than 40 recognised global experts, including former world champions, environmental campaigners and the directors, CEOs and founders of some of the industry’s most recognisable brands.

Now its publishers, University of Plymouth Press, are to serialise the book in seven instalments with the first edition due for publication at the beginning of next month in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage.

Paul Honeywill, Head of University of Plymouth Press, said:

“This has been one of our most successful publications and has really engaged the imagination of the University and the broader community. The book helps to communicate important issues relating to sustainability, through the lens of surfing, which has huge importance to both the South West Region and the broader global community. Expanding the original publication into a series of ebooks, will provide a further opportunity to raise the profile of the work and raise funds for charity.”

Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage and one of the contributors to the book, added:

“Our waves, oceans and beaches are under increasing human pressure, most starkly demonstrated by the ocean plastic pollution crisis and climate change. Surfers see this damage first-hand and feel the impacts – a canary in the coalmine for the health of our oceans. Historically the epicentre of surfing has been in places like Hawaii, California and Australia, but this book shows how the South West and the UK have played a huge role in the emergence of the sustainable surfing mindset, with the evolution of Surfers Against Sewage which is now at the forefront of action to stop marine plastic pollution.”

Over a series of chapters, contributors to the book identify key areas in need of attention including education, environmental awareness, sustainable supply chains, tourism, corporate governance, economic development and philanthropy, media, and public attention.

Practitioners on the coal face of surfing’s transition to a more sustainable future present potential solutions to many of these issues before the book concludes with a call to political action from some of surfing’s senior statesmen in recognition that the industry, the sport, and the lifestyle of surfing need to adapt now in order to respond to the challenges of sustainability.

Dr Borne said:

“The success of the book pays testament to the ability of surfing to engage so many people throughout the world and its ability to highlight important global and local sustainability related issues. Surfing’s inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games adds another exciting dimension to the discussion. Raising funds for charity was always a central mission of this book and I’m really pleased that we have reached that point where we can help support organisations that are making a real difference in this area.”

A book for anyone interested in the challenges of sustainability in the surfing world

Published in 2015, Sustainable Stoke – Transitions to Sustainability in the Surfing World, looks at the greatest challenges to sustainability in the surfing world. The book includes the views and opinions of more than 40 recognised global experts, including former world champions, environmental campaigners and the directors, CEOs and founders of some of the industry’s most recognisable brands.

"Sustainability is core to how we live on this planet. Surfing could be a massive power tool for driving positive change". Chris Hines, co-founder of Surfers Against Sewage,

An image from the front cover of Sustainable Stoke (credit: Grant Davis)

We focus:

... on multiple aspects of sustainable development and surfing from both an academic and practitioner based perspective.

The principle aims of the group are to: develop cutting edge and innovative research that will have both academic and real world applications; and act as an international research hub for work relating to sustainable development and surfing.